Getting a handle on household clutter

Clutter seems to be the common enemy to orderly households. Every family member has stacks of catalogs, electronic components, sporting equipment and more stuff than we can stuff into our homes.

"When you look back 25 years, stores were closed on Sundays," says Donna Smallin, a professional organizer and the author of "Organizing Plain & Simple" (Storey Books, $16.95). "Now you can shop 24/7."

Smallin, who has developed an organizing survival kit, recommends that people scrutinize their spending and shopping habits. "Don't buy anything new for a month and see how that feels and see if that might be a contributing factor to the clutter in your home."

Experts on organization repeat a common mantra: a place for for everything and everything in its place.

"We don't put things away because we don't have a place for them," Smallin says. As you evaluate the organization of your home, look at all the spaces, and, drawer by drawer, shelf by shelf, find a place for everything.

Then, it's a matter of retraining. "Things don't get cluttered by themselves," she says.

Also, stop yourself from saying you don't have time to deal with clutter. "Even if you spend five minutes a day organizing, that adds up to two hours and 30 minutes a month," she says.

If you watch television, use the commercial breaks to declutter rather than for running to the fridge. Take a drawer into the living room and sort.

Cutting out extraneous belongings simplifies the task of organizing. Eliminate things that add no meaning to your life and items you do not use.

Find a charity that will accept all types of items and donate your cast- offs. The donations will pay off better than a garage sale for those who itemize tax deductions.

The payback to organization is great, says Smallin, who recently launched a Web site, www.unclutter.com. Not only will you enjoy the personal satisfaction, you also stand to save time and even money.

A bill-paying system is part of Smallin's survival kit. She divides bills as they arrive according to due date in a two-pocket folder. She pulls the folder out twice a month to pay bills.

To start the year right, get your purse or wallet in order, too. Discard things you no longer need and shred personal information.

Organizing doesn't have to be complex or costly. One of Smallin's favorite tools for bringing things together is zippered plastic bags. They work for cosmetics in a purse and for batteries in a junk drawer. She also likes to use checkbook boxes as drawer organizers.